HMS Northumberland joins naval drill Grüner Aal in the fjords.

According to information published by the Royal Navy on June 14, 2021, submarine hunters on HMS Northumberland honed their skills during a four-day fight in the fjords. The Plymouth-based frigate tested her mettle against the Norwegian Navy – in waters its submariners know like the back of their hands.
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Ula-class HNoMS Uredd submarine (Picture source: Petr Smerkl, Wikipedia)

Ahead of her security duties at the G7 summit in Cornwall, Northumberland was invited to join the hosts for Exercise Grüner Aal, played out in the confined waters around Bergen.

HMS Northumberland was able to join the host’s support ship Magnus Lagabøte, tug HS4 Mjølner.

Doing its best to get Northumberland in its sights was the Ula-class diesel-electric submarine HNoMS Uredd. To find something which is small, quiet, submerged and doesn’t wish to be found, Northumberland sent sound waves through the depths as she tested both her hull-mounted and towed-array sonar systems – and also switched to silent running to passively listen for the ultra-quiet submarine.

That tests not just the skills of the sonar operators in the operations room, but the entire ship’s company, who have to minimize all noise aboard.

And the frigate pulled out the ace up her sleeve in the form of her Merlin Mk2 helicopter.

Mohawk Flight from 814 Naval Air Squadron at Culdrose used her sonobuoys (listening devices dropped in the ocean) and her ‘dipping’ sonar, lowered beneath the Merlin, to locate and successfully track the Uredd’s movements throughout the exercise – and conducted simulated attacks to defend Northumberland.

HMS Northumberland is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is named after the Duke of Northumberland. She is the eighth RN ship to bear the name since the first 70-gun frigate in 1679, and the ninth in the class of Type 23 frigates. She is based at Devonport and is part of the Devonport Flotilla.

The Ula class is a Norwegian submarine type that was assembled in Germany in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The class, consisting of six vessels, is currently the only submarine type in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy.